forsyte



Patented May 30, I899.

G. H. FURSYTH.

CURTAIN FIXTURE.

(Appfication filed Mar. 22, 1899.)

2 Sheets$heet l.

(No Model) (No Model.)

a. u. FORSYTH.

CURTAIN FIXTURE.

(Applimflun fllad Mar. 92, 1899.!

iii/21712111211 Patented May 30, I899.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

'UNITED STATES P T NT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. FORSYTH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNOR TO THE FORSYTH BROTHERSCOMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CU RTA'lN-FlXTU RE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 625,753, dated May 30,1899.

Application filed March 22, 1899.

To all z'uhom it may concern: Be it known that I, GEORGE H. FORSYTH,

of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Curtain-Fixtures, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in fixtures for spring-actuatedcurtains or shades.

The object of the invention is to provide a fixture of this class whichshall be adequate to hold the shadeor curtain against the pull of theshade-roller spring at any adjusted position and to enable the curtainto automatically right itself when the shade-stick is thrown into anoblique position by accident or careless manipulation.Selfaightingholding mechanisms of this general character have beenheretofore provided,as, forexample, in the patent to Forzo sythandForsyth, No. 559,446, dated May 5, 1896. In said patentedconstruction the automatic self-rightingis effected by providingseparated bearings or contactpoints of diverse frictional holding power,arranged in 2 5 such relation to each other that when the margin of theshade is moved from a horizontal to an oblique position thebearing-point of least resistance is engaged and the bearing-point ofgreater frictional holding power wholly or par- 0 tially withdrawn fromcontact. The commercial form of said invention embodies heads mountedupon the ends of the shade-stick and having antifriction-rollers attheir extremities and friction shoes or blocks between 3 5 the rollers.This type of fixture is known as the roller-tip fixture.

My present improvement has for its object to attain the same desirableresults accomplished by the automatic self-righting fixtures 0 abovedescribed, but in a difierent manner. My invention comprises ashade-stick provided at its ends with rollers or wheels ar ranged inpairs or in series and rotatably mounted in peripheral contact, theircenters of rotation being variable with relation to each other, so thatwhen the stick is in a normal position or substantially parallel to theshaderoller the wheels or the rollers impinge upon the bottoms of thegrooves and contact with each other to such extent as to prevent ordiminish theirrotation, thus causing said Serial No. 710,063. (NomodeL)wheels or rollers to become friction-surfaces, which hold the shade orcurtain in the adjusted position. When, however, the lower margin of theshade or curtain and the shade- 5 5 stick are moved into an oblique orabnormal position, one of the bearings is released'and the wheels orrollers are released from further frictional interlocking contact andbecome antifrictiomsurfaces, which .enable the cur- 6o tain orshade toautomatically self-right.

' My invention may be embodied in a variety of mechanical constructionsand combination of parts, some of which are shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which-- 5 Figure 1 is an elevation showing a fragment orcorner of the curtain or shade, the end of the carrying-tube in section,and the shadestick, its operating-spring, and the head and wheels inelevation view of the head carrying the rollers or Wheels.

Fig. 2 is a front or face Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, exceptthat the interlocking wheels are arranged in pairs at the extremities ofthe head. Fig. 4 is a face view of the head shown in Fig. 3.

Figs. 5 and 6 show a short head with a single pair of wheels, and Figs.7 and 8 are intended to illustrate the principle of operation of thedevices shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive] In the drawings let 10represent the shade or curtain, which is provided with a pocket carryingthermetal tube 11, within which is mounted the sliding rod 12. 13 is thespring normally thrusting said rod outwardly by engaging with a sleeve14 fixed thereon. The extremity of the rod carries the head 15,w'hich isadapted to travel within the groove'in the frame or casing of the windowand which is represented conventionally by the line 16. 7 These heads,one of which mounted at each end of the shade-stick, in connection withthe grooves, form in the usual way the guides to prevent the curtainfrom flapping.

In Fig. 1 a head is shown having antifric tion-rollers in itsextremities, said rollers being marked 17 and being intended to assistin the self-righting of the fixture. The friction. devices, which holdthe head in its adjusted positions, comprise rollers on wheels 18, thesebeing arranged either in pairs or in series, with their peripheries incontact. As shown in Figs. 1to 4, inclusive, the rollers are mountedupon pins 19, passing trans-.

I in interlocking frictional contact, so as to furnish the requisitefriction to hold the curtain in the adjusted position. If, however, inoperation the shade-stick be tilted or placed in an abnormal position,obviously one of the.

rollers will be partially withdrawn from contact with the bottom of thegroove, and as soon, as its bearing is released the roller remaining incontact will turn freely, thus permitting the curtain or shade to rightitself.

.. The principle of this operation may be explained by considering thefact that a pair of rollers thus arranged have three bearingpoints orpoints of contact, each roller contacting with the other and eachseparately contacting with the bottom of the groove. Now so long aspressure is applied at these three points of contact the rollers will berestrained. As soon as pressure is relieved befectin restraining thefree rotation of the one leftfin contact, and therefore the rollerremaining in con-tact revolves freely, assisting the righting of thefixture, while the roller I removed from contact also revolves freely,

but. out of contact- I have described the operation of the constructionshown in Figs. 1 and 2 without referenee to the antifriction-rollers 17in the ex tremities of the heads. In order to make the device sensitive,I prefer to employ the elon gated heads shown and to provide theantifri'ction-rollers 17 in the ends thereof. When they are used, if theshade-stick be tilted the antifrictionroller in the extremity of thehead will be brought into contact with the bottom of the groove and willassist in the self-righting of the fixture. When this form ofconstruction is used, it may be considered as an improved form ofroller-tip fixture, in which the antifriction-rollers at the extremitiesassist in, the self-righting, while the interlocking rollers or wheelsform a yielding friction located intermediate the antifrictionwheels.This form of device will be more sensitive than that in which a fixedfrictionblock is employed and less objectionable in use than anotherknown construction wherein a pivoted friction shoeor block is employed,because in my construction both the friction and the antifrictionsurfaces or devices are curved surfaces instead ofplain surfaces andpresent no ends or edges to catch or engage the surfaces with which theycontact.

In the construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the elongated heads areemployed; but the interlocking rollers are arranged in pairs at theextremities of the heads and afford when the stick is parallel with theshade-roller interlocking friction-surfaces which will restrain thecurtain against the pull of its spring-roller, and when the stick istilted the pair at one end will bewithdrawn from contact and the pair atthe opposite end will be freed, so as to become ant-ifriction instead offriction devices.

In the construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6 a short head is employed witha single pair of rollers, and said rollers instead of having enlargedapertures have journals, for which enlarged bearings are provided,preferably in the shape of converging slots 21, formed in the side wallsof the head. These converging slots permit the. rollers to jam togetherwhen the stick is in a horizontal positionand when it is tilted permitthe rollers to separate, thus releasing them from interlocking. contact.Figs. 5 and 6 show the operation of the rollers when provided withjournals moving in converging slots, and Figs. 7 and 8 show the joperation of the rollers having enlarged apertures and mounted on fixedaxles. f, principle of operation is, however, the same i in both cases,and either construction may be 1 employed with the forms of head shown.

tween one of the rollers and the bottomof the E I groove then the rollerthus freed has no: ef-

The

While I have shown the rollers arranged in pairs, it is of course withinthe scope of my iinvention to employ three or more rollers lmounted inperipheral contact. illustrate the principle of my invention, 1 ghavedeemed representation of a series un= 5 necessary. I have shown therollers or wheels Since two mounted in boxes carried upon the ends ofrods constituting a part of the shade-stick ;andhavingoutwardly-thrustingsprings. The frods maybe omitted and the shanks ofthe iheads inserted in and carried by the tubes iand the springs beardirectly on the heads. 1 The rods may, if used, be provided withpendants for retracting them in operating the fixture, or the curtainmay be manipulated by grasping its lower margin and pushing it up orpulling it down.

Without limiting myself to precise details of construction orcorrelation of-parts, except as hereinafter particularly pointed out, I

claim 1. A curtain-fixture of the class described,

gcomprising a shade-stick having heads proivided with a plurality ofrollers or wheels "having peripheral contact with each other,

and adapted to have both rotary and bodily movement and to contact withthe windowframe, whereby, when the stick is in a horizontal position,the peripheral contact of the rollers causes them ;to serve as frictiondevices, and when the stick is tilted, the periph eral friction isdiminished to permit one or more of the rollers or-wheels to becomeantifriction devices, substantially as described.

2. A curtain-fixture of the class described, comprising in combination acurtain-stick,- heads at the ends of the stick, each of said headshaving a plurality of rollers or wheels having apertures, pins or axlescarried by the havingelongated heads at its ends, rollers or Wheelsmounted in pairs toward the ends of said heads in peripheral contact,and adapted to have both rotary and bodily movement and I 5 to contactwith the window-frame, substantially as described.

GEORGE H. FORSYTH.

Witnesses:

C. O. LINTHICUM, W. H. FORSYTH.

